Over 17 passengers confirmed on aboard crashed aircraft in north east. Laos

At least 17 passengers were confirmed on aboard the aircraft which crashed in Laos' northeastern province of Xieng Khouang Saturday morning, sources said. At least five people are confirmed dead and three were pulled alive from the wreckage after an AN-74TK300 aircraft carrying representatives of the Lao government including deputy prime minister cum minister of defense, minister of public security, secretariat of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party's Central Committee, chairman of the Propaganda Training Committee and mayor of Vientiane, crashed on Saturday morning in Nadee village, Paek district of Xieng Khouang province. The Prime Minister's Office has issued an announcement that the AN-74TK300 aircraft of the Lao air force has crashed at 7:00 am local time on Saturday. The authority's concern is now to help rescue the survivors. The cause of accident is under the investigation. The progress of the accident will be informed later, Lao state-run news agency KPL reported. A witness told Xinhua that the crash site is in a mountainous area and the weather was clear at the time of the accident, adding that army forces already blockaded the area.